Three Bears Restaurant, Westport, CT

Have been in bed sick for a week not eating, so when my appetite started to trickle back 3 nights ago the first thing it craved was dessert. My only option was the Three Bears since it's a couple doors down and as far as my energy would allow me to go. I called for the choices and nothing appealed except for a cheesecake. I'm not usually a cheesecake person and prefer fruit based desserts but because the menu was primarily chocolate based this was my only option. Hobbling in to pick it up, the waitress was sympathetic with my predicament of being in bed with the flu and comforted me like a mom. Everyone is always very, very nice here. A definite plus. Getting it home and uncovering the lid revealed a lovely presentation of dark cherry sauce drizzled around the cheesecake and was adorned with several cherries. Lovely, but a very old fashioned choice of fruit I thought. The cake itself was delicious, rich and creamy. The perfect option to recover from a sickness or to enjoy after a meal. I ate half and decided to save the rest for another evening of enjoyment sans the cherries.

Last night, I actually had an appetite for dinner but still little energy to cook or sit for a proper meal, so it was Three Bears takeout again. I hoped to order the goat cheese ravioli with tomato coulis and asparagus but they informed me the menu just changed last week. One of the few entrees that could be made vegetarian was the gnocchi. It sounded good sauteed with truffles, asparagus, tomatoes and garlic. Once again, everyone was lovely in greeting me. The new chef was sitting at reception since it was a slow night so we started talking about having more vegetarian options available. Their new appetizer list actually has a bunch of options and I can't wait to go back and try some of it.

It's beautiful there at night. The building is an old inn from something like the 1700's and little white lights abound outside. Inside, tiffany lamps hang all over and look really romantic all lit up. I find it very magical and very New England. I hope they continue trying to cater to the younger crowd to be able to stay around for many years to come.

I said good-bye to everyone and was so excited when I got home to see such a wonderful dish in front of me. The gnocchi were lightly browned and the sauce looked utterly delightful. The first bite was an exquisite melange of flavors. After my initial excitement, I realized the gnocchi weren't the little soft, cuddly pillows I usually love, but decent nonetheless. Not everyone has time to make their own. Besides, this place is more for the meat and potatoes crowd. There was a nice amount of garlic used to saute the truffles and the vegetables were mixed perfectly. I was happy yellow tomatoes were chosen and not the standard red ones. Again, I ate half and saved the remainder for the next day's lunch and was very, very content with my first real dinner in a week.

A lovely place more appropriate for a romantic evening out or for lovely al fresco dining in the rear. They are open for lunch with very reasonable prices and offer weekend brunch, which I have never tried.

Route 33/Newtown Turnpike; Westport, CT 06880; (203) 227-7219
http://www.threebearsrestaurant.com/

Pasta Nostra, Norwalk, CT

Went on July 27th with Karen, my high school friend, who also appreciates fine dining and wine. We once shared an amazing dinner at Emeril's in New Orleans together when I was down there with an ex-boyfriend, and always enjoy drinking the finest wines and champagnes we can find on a menu.

The adorable sommelier Matthew came over and helped us choose an Italian white since it was so damn hot outside. Their wine list has a great variety of Italian wines - the reds are especially plentiful. He recommended something fruity yet dry, which was an excellent choice. It pryed me out of my little oaky, buttery California chardonnay rut I seem to enjoy being in.

The bread here is amazing. I believe it comes from the SoNo Baking Company around the corner and is one of those breads that are addictive. And, the olive oil is exquisite. You can taste the high quality and its delicious nature. It's funny, a standard olive oil is just that and is fine, but when you get one that is exquisite, it stands out like six pack abs on a hot guy, and is so much more delicious than an ordinary one.

Karen and I decided to split 2 appetizers - an olive tapenade with goat cheese on crostini and a cauliflower dish. The crostini was delicious but the cauliflower dish a little weird. The sauce was Indian or Moroccan based and a bit too filled with spices. The flavors really didn't meld all that well with the cool cauliflower - this wasn't a hit.

We invited cute Matthew over to teach us the correct way to leave your utensils on the plate after dining. He was so happy we asked as he believes most Americans are heathens lacking manners. He demonstrated how many diners just throw their utensils wherever the hell they feel, like a pack of wolves. He explained how leaving the utensils the correct way - horizontally placed on the top of the dish - tells the wait staff when the diner is finished and is a cue for the plates to be picked up.

Both of us ordered the gnocchi with pesto and tomatoes - delicious! The gnocchi were so fluffy and delectable, like little puffy clouds you just want to take home and put under your pillow. Soooo yummy! The pesto was to die for. Just the right mixture of basil and pine nuts. And, the perfect cherry tomatoes garnishing the plate in a circular fashion really complement the dish. They do this dish with pasta, which is equally excellent but those cute little gnocchi were excellent. We fully cleared off both our plates. During dinner, I got a call from my trainer and a smile unexpectedly came over my face. This surprised me as it was the first time I thought about him in a non-platonic way, so Karen and I started to discuss the pros and cons of turning a platonic relationship into something more.

By the time dessert rolled around, the wine was kicking in and we became raucous. I ordered berries and mascarpone while Karen ordered some sort of chocolate cake. When Matthew came to check on us, I explained how Karen was texting her lover about smearing the chocolate all over her chest. Matthew declared, "Outstanding!" We couldn't help but cackle like hyenas the rest of the evening. It seems to happen alot at this restaurant. When there with my friend Candy, a married woman, a couple months ago, she asked Matthew if he could be one of the dessert options and if she and I could then share that dessert. Though he turned red, I think he liked the attention.

I really like this place. One of the best in the area. Worth every cent.

116 Washington Street, South Norwalk, CT 06854; (203) 854-9700; http://www.pastanostra.com

Centro Ristorante, Fairfield, CT

A waste of money for the crappy food and wine yet this place is always packed. The location is great - near the Fairfield train station and shops - and adjacent to the green, which was lovely for listening to the free concert the other night.

The wine list had plenty of varietals by the glass, but each producer was crappier than the next. No thought seemed to be given to the wonderful wine list they could have created. It was like the wine salesman just threw a bunch of crap their way and they accepted. I didn't like any of the choices, even those on the nightly specials menu, but was getting my period so needed wine pronto. I chose an Italian varietal with some Sangiovese in it and it tasted like it came from a jug. Oh well, at least I was headed outside to hear the music on a warm summer night. But first, I had to pay the bartender for my $10 wine before being seated outside. I HATE when restaurants do this - I think it shows a lack of class.

The dining menu has a great variety and I was excited by my options. I chose the soup special, which was roasted corn and vegetables and a gemelli pasta primavera sans the sausage which was to be packed right up for Mr. Booda's dining pleasure. The bread on the table was standard Italian with little flavor so I skipped having more than a morsel. The soup came immediately and I was imagining tasting those lovely little roasted corn kernels. The description sounded like it'd be a delicious southwest flavored soup and I was so excited. So, I was more than disappointed taking the first sip and realizing it had zero taste. I have no idea how they were purporting the corn was roasted. It was just a bunch of corn kernels and tomatoes thrown into a pot and heated up without any spices. I don't eat Campbell's soup, but it probably tastes similar. Oh well, the pasta arrived shortly thereafter. It was huge. It made me laugh because the book I'm reading, "French Women Don't Get Fat", talks about the huge portions served in the States. There is no reason on God's green earth why a plate as large as my pasta should ever be served in a restaurant. A truck stop maybe for those long hauls, but in supposed fine dining, it's atrocious and unnecessary. But, I figured I'd get dinner and at least 2 lunches out of the plate, so was content. And, the 'to go' container with Booda's sausage was huge, so I was momentarily happy until I took my first bite of the gemelli. Now, one of the best gemelli pastas is up at Carole Peck's in Woodbury, CT, so I had that in the back of my mind. This particular gemelli, however, was absolutely void of any flavor. Once again, the dish was about throwing a bunch of ingredients in and doing very little with them. What's up with that? It was more about the size and less about the quality. I remembered why I hated coming to this place in the past and vowed never to be lured back again.

There is nothing more upsetting than spending time and money on a crappy meal. How do these people in Connecticut accept such inadequate food? It boggles my mind. I did notice a good portion of the patrons were in their 20's on dates or groups of younger girls dressed up looking pretty. They don't know any better if they are living in Connecticut at that age. If they did, they'd be in some major city getting cultured or traveling the world. When I was that age, I was traveling to Chicago to experience Charlie Trotter's, seeking out Michelin restaurants in France and driving up to the French Laundry in Napa.

This restaurant really sucks and I am so upset to have wasted money there. Oh, the waitress was a lovely, attentive woman, but I find their little outfits - shorts and polo tops - inconsistent with the casual chic style they seem to be aiming for.

1435 Post Road, Fairfield, CT; (203) 255-1210; www.centroristorante.com

Valencia Luncheria, Norwalk, CT

One of my favorite places here in Fairfield County. Chef Michael used to work at Habana in Norwalk and left to start his own place. The luncheria known for its "Venezuelian beach food" is a funky little hole in the wall. The regular menu is extensive and each day brings fabulous specials. The innovative creations he concocts for his specials are truly amazing and worthy of much higher prices than he charges. Today, I had a fresh gazpacho soup topped with avocado slices and my standard arepa - black beans and plaintains. For those who don't know, an arepa is a lovely little cornmeal pocket lightly sauteed and fried, which can be filled with numerous items. There is a list of suggestions on the blackboard or you can be courageous and pick your own - Michael says I invented the black beans and plaintains. Today I noticed a new one - white corn, fennel and a light cheese, which sounded yummy for my next visit. Two different homemade sauce toppings come to the table - the cilantro based one rocks! My friends that know about this place love it and those that don't already know, soon come to love it as well.

172 Main Street, Norwalk, CT 06851; (203)846-8009; http://www.valencialuncheria.com/